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Applebee’s gets liquor license |
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Thursday, 21 August 2008 |
Only third in county to get one
A third Saline County restaurant has received a permit to serve alcoholic beverages.
Applebee’s Neighbor-hood Bar & Grill in Benton has been granted a liquor permit from the Alcohol Beverage Control Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Dizzy’s Grill & Bistro became the first local eatery to break ground on the alcohol permit in the spring of 2007 and Luigi’s Pizza & Pasta in Bryant recently received a similar permit.
The alcohol permits are required since Saline County is a dry county.
Michael Langley of ABC said representatives of Applebee’s appeared in a hearing Wednesday and received a favorable verdict in the restaurant’s request for the alcohol permit.
“Applebee’s received a private club permit, which means that they have the right to serve all types of alcohol with the meals and they can be open seven days a week,” Langley said.
He was not aware of the restaurant’s operating hours.
The decision of the five-member commission was not unanimous, Langley said.”The vote was three to two,” he said.
Objections to the permit were raised by the Rev. Ken Graham, pastor of Victory Baptist Church; Robert Presswood; and Carolyn Courtney. Also, Prosecuting Attorney Ken Casady submitted a letter of objection, though he did not teestify.
Benton Alderman Brad Moore said he is “glad Applebee’s was able to work through the process. I think it will be a positive factor in their business. I think it will put some more business in the restaurant.
“Although I don’t personally drink alcohol, I’m glad they were able to do this,” he added.
Langley said the maximum time that Applebee’s would be allowed to remain open would be 2 a.m. “That’s what state law allows,” he said.
“Applebee’s usually keeps more normal hours, like 11 p.m.,” he said. “It’s more of a restaurant, not a club.
“To obtain a drink there, they will require follks to have something to eat. It’s not going to be a place where somebody can just go in and have a drink.”
Langley said the restaurant could begin serving alcohol immediately. “This can become immediate once they have the permit in their hands.”Troy Boggan, a manager at Applebee’s, said the serving of alcohol hasn’t started yet and he’s isn’t certain when it will begin.
“Our general manager, Kirk Walker, is on vacation and will be returning in nine days,” he said. “It won’t happen until after he returns,
“I think they’re shooting for 30 days out,” Boggan said.
Walker testified in Wednesday’s hearing before the ABC Board, Boggan said.
Darla Huie, owner of Dizzy’s Grill & Bistro, said strict rules for drinking alcohol apply at her business.
“We have a dry side and we have a social club,” she said. “The social club membership is $25 for five years for a family or a household.”
Huie said club members must complete “a full sheet of paperwork” and then are issued a card with a memberhsip number.
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